Memorial close to Compton’s Ohio heart
GOLF: Erik Compton considers the Memorial a special week no matter how he plays, knowing his second heart transplant came from a donor in Ohio.
The opening round was even sweeter with three birdies on the back nine late Thursday afternoon at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, for a 5-under-par 67, leaving him one shot out of the lead.
When the day ended, Scott Stallings was atop the leaderboard with a 66 and hardly anyone noticed.
Compton has been an amazing story as long as he has played golf. He had his first heart transplant at 12, played in the Walker Cup after a solid career at Georgia, nearly died from a heart attack on his way home from the golf course in 2007, had a second transplant in May 2008, and earned his PGA Tour card for the first time last year through the Nationwide Tour.
“It’s just a great story, obviously, and it’s a great place – for me, it’s a special place,” Compton said. “For me, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my donor. To be able to play here, regardless of whether I play good or bad, it’s just always a nice week.”
Tiger Woods, playing in the group behind Rory McIlroy (71), chopped up the 18th hole for a double bogey and still managed a 2-under 70.
Murray, defending champs advance
TENNIS: Fourth-seeded Brit Andy Murray rebounded from an awful first set to beat Jarkko Nieminen 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and reach the third round at the French Open in Paris.
A few hours later, 10th-seeded American John Isner played yet another marathon match, but was on the losing end this time.
Isner, who won the longest match in history two years ago at Wimbledon, lost to Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16. The match lasted 5 hours, 41 minutes – the second-longest by time in French Open history. The record is 6:33.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal also made it to the third round, defeating Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 and improving his record at Roland Garros to 47-1.
Defending women’s champion Li Na easily advanced by beating Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 6-0, 6-2.
I’ll Have Another avoids nasty collision
HORSE RACING: The Triple Crown bid of I’ll Have Another almost ended when a loose horse came within inches of slamming into the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner during training at Belmont Park.
A collision was avoided.
“I’ve seen accidents like that happen, and they are ugly,” trainer Doug O’Neill said.
In 10 days, I’ll Have Another attempts to become the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years, since Affirmed swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1978.
Bolt strikes season best at Golden Gala
TRACK AND FIELD: World record-holder Usain Bolt turned in a season’s best 9.76 seconds in the 100-meter race at the Golden Gala in Rome.
His previous world’s best of 9.82 was set at home in Jamaica this month.
Bolt quickly pulled in front and broke the previous meet record of 9.77 set by Tyson Gay three years ago.
Goodell confident bounty hunting over
FOOTBALL: Commissioner Roger Goodell is confident that bounty hunting will no longer be an issue in the NFL because of the severe penalties handed out in the wake of the New Orleans Saints scandal.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an issue going forward,” he said.
Current Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was one of the players suspended for the upcoming season.
Goodell has been granted a 21-day delay for responding to a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Vilma.
The suit claims Goodell, “relied on, at best, hearsay, circumstantial evidence and lies” in making comments about Vilma while discussing the bounty investigation.
• Sandusky asks court to delay case: Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, facing trial next week on charges he sexually abused 10 boys, asked a state appeals court to review his case and to delay the criminal proceedings against him.
Sandusky, 68, awaits trial on dozens of criminal charges alleging he abused the boys, some on campus, over a 15-year period. He has repeatedly denied the allegations and tried to delay the trial, scheduled to begin with jury selection on Tuesday and opening statements June 11.
Cal wins Women’s CWS opener
SOFTBALL: Frani Echavarria got her third RBI of the game during a three-run sixth inning for California, helping the top-seeded Golden Bears rally past LSU 5-3 in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Cal will take on Oklahoma tonight after the fourth-seeded Sooners beat South Florida 5-1 earlier in the day. LSU will play USF in an elimination game on Saturday.
In the first night game, No. 2 seed Alabama scored four runs in the first inning and turned it over to pitcher Jackie Traina in a 5-3 win over Tennessee.
Alabama will face Arizona State, a 3-1 winner over Oregon, today. Tennessee will face Oregon on Saturday.